by Alisa Woods
Arianna held his hand and led the way, with Marco and Sarra helping Kalis out of the Jeep. He was already moving better on his own, but Jak could tell he was working the injury for all it was worth—the kid looked like he was crushing on Sarra almost as much as Marco. At least Marco was old enough not to be jail bait.
Arianna captured his attention again as she dropped his hand to throw open the front door.
“Mom!” she called, not waiting for him as she rushed into the house.
Jak hustled after her, not wanting to blow his chance before he even had it.
The spaciousness of the house continued on the inside—a wide entryway lead to an open kitchen in back, stairs going up to the second floor, and a cavernous living area sprawled with couches. At the end was a rough-hewn table that could seat at least twelve, maybe more. It looked about a hundred years old, and the entire place was rustic, decorated with antlers, fur, and oil paintings of cowboys rustling cattle. It was like stepping back in time… and somehow the simple comfort of it ratcheted down Jak’s nerves, just like being around Arianna had always done.
The love of his life was wrapped up in her mother’s arms. Jak held back, not wanting to encroach on the moment: Arianna’s mom held her tight, eyes squeezed shut with tears leaking from the corners. Even with her face contorted with tearful happiness, Jak could see she was as beautiful as her daughter: the same high cheekbones, same gorgeous, long black hair, only frosted with streaks of white that made her seem like an ancient sorceress, all wizened and powerful.
“Arianna,” her mom whispered, still holding her tight. Then she pulled back and held her daughter’s cheeks in her hands, looking her over like a mother worried her daughter wasn’t as unharmed as she pretended to be. Then she peered into Arianna’s eyes with the same brilliant blues that her daughter possessed. “My heart cried every day for you. Every day you’ve been—” She choked up, and her words cut off.
Jak was working hard not to choke up himself. Living to see this moment was all the reward he would ever need.
“I’m free now,” Arianna told her firmly, even though she had already filled her mom in on everything on the ride over. Jak had listened to one side of that conversation, dying to know what was being said on the other end. “And I’m home.” She hugged her mom again, hard but fast. Then she turned to Jak. “Mom, this is Jak Roberts.” Arianna met his nervous stare and smiled. “He’s the one who set me free.”
It made his heart leap to hear those words, but he forced himself to meet the steady gaze of Arianna’s mom. She was inspecting him head to toe, taking her time, not speaking. Agitation was threatening to explode out of him, but he managed to keep it cool and step forward, extending his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stefan.”
She took his hand in both of hers—her hands were soft but strong, like he would expect from a woman who worked a ranch with only her two sons for help—and briefly held it. Then she dropped it and stepped closer, peering up into his face with a dead-serious expression.
“I cannot repay you for what you’ve done,” she said, as if he was expecting some kind of payment walking in the door. Her brilliant blue eyes bored into him.
Jak was nonplussed for a moment. When words finally worked their way to his mouth, he was glad they weren’t completely idiotic. “I’m the one who owes your daughter.” He glanced at Arianna then back to her mother’s cool expression. “She’s saved me in more ways than one.”
The barest smile graced her face, then fled, banished by the serious look returning. “What are your intentions here, Jak Roberts?”
He gaped, then quickly shut his mouth. She was as plain-spoken as her daughter. He should have expected as much. “I love your daughter more than my own life, Mrs. Stefan. With your permission, I would have her as my mate and protect her all the days I have left on this earth.” He glanced at Arianna again, and the tremulous smile on her face made his heart swell. It gave him courage to push further… for the thing he really wanted but wasn’t sure was possible. “I’ve never had a family worth the name, Ma’am. I don’t know if I’ll fit into yours. But if you’ll have me, I’ll do everything in my power to pull my weight and keep all of you safe.” Marco was technically the alpha, and Jak knew he’d have to submit to the kid to become truly part of their pack. But that kid was willing to lay his life down for his sister—he was the kind of alpha Jak wouldn’t have to think twice about respecting. He could submit to him. And he didn’t want Arianna to have to choose between him and her family. He wanted her to have both. Besides, he could easily vow to protect them like his own pack—his heart had already pledged to do that long ago.
Arianna’s mom studied him a moment longer, blue eyes glittering. She flicked a look over Jak’s shoulder, and he suddenly became aware that they weren’t the only ones in the room—Sarra and Marco and Kalis had joined them but had remained at the door.
Arianna was holding back her smile, and every second that passed without a response from Arianna’s mom was a held-breath burning in Jak’s chest. Arianna’s mom lifted her chin, and Kalis gained a miraculous recovery as he strode over to give his mother a hug. She scowled at him, but only momentarily, before her face was taken over with a small smile. She took his cheeks in both hands and gave them a squeeze. He wrenched his face away with a horrified look that made everyone else in the room smile. Even Jak, although he hadn’t missed the fact that Arianna’s mom had completely dodged his unspoken question about remaining with them. Joining their pack and their family—it was a lot to ask, two seconds inside the door. His heart was pounding, hoping he hadn’t screwed up already.
Marco waited until his mother was done embarrassing Kalis, then he brought Sarra over, holding her gently at the elbow. “Mom, this is Sarra, the shifter I told you about on the phone.”
Jak liked how Marco called her a shifter—even if Jak suspected it was to win over Sarra more than his mother. For her part, Sarra looked more nervous than he’d ever seen her. Which was saying something, given she’d stared down more shifter gang members than he could count.
Arianna’s mother beamed and took Sarra’s hands in hers. “Welcome,” she said with a wide smile. Then she gently took Sarra’s cheeks in her hands, and the smile tempered to affection. “I heard what you did. Both the stitching and… the other part. Marco told me all about it. It’s an honor to have such a brave wolf in our home, not to mention a healer. You are welcome here for as long as you wish to stay.”
“Um… thanks,” Sarra said. She looked a little lost, but in a good way. Like this was some kind of dream she was having—the kind she didn’t really believe, but didn’t want to wake up from, regardless.
Jak was happy for her—he knew the hard road she had walked, and she deserved all the gratitude the Stefan family could dole out—but he couldn’t help having his chest grow a little tighter. He hadn’t quite earned the same warm welcome… yet. But he was determined to make that happen, for Arianna’s sake. He resigned himself to the fact that it might take time, and that would have to be okay. He could be patient. He’d already given everything he had in this life for Arianna… he could give the idea of joining her family a little time to settle in.
Arianna’s mom dropped her hands from Sarra’s face and turned to Marco. Some kind of wordless conversation passed between mother and son. She gave him a nod that seemed like an order somehow, and Marco left her side to stand face-to-face with Jak.
Jak frowned, his heart sinking a little. Was this it? Time for him to leave already? He scrambled for some reason why he still needed to stay, at least the night—
“Jak Roberts,” Marco said, his blue eyes staring steadily into Jak’s. His voice was ridiculously formal, given what they’d all just been through. “My father was the alpha of our pack. When he died, I took on that role. I never thought I’d find a man I could respect as much as him, someone I’d be honored to be beta to. But then I never expected someone else to love my family as much as I do.”
Jak
struggled to keep the shock off his face, but he had absolutely no words for what Marco was saying. Then Marco shifted before him, and Jak couldn’t keep his mouth from dropping open. Marco stood on all fours for a moment, staring up at him with wolf eyes, then slowly he stretched his paws forward and dropped his tail behind.
Marco was submitting to him.
It was so unexpected, Jak took a half step back. He flicked a look around the room: Sarra’s face was shocked, but Arianna was smiling wide. She was in on this, clearly. Before Jak could say or do anything, Kalis had already shifted and submitted. Arianna’s mother captured his wandering gaze and held it with a small smile. Then she shifted, too, followed quickly by Arianna.
The four of them were all submitting to him. He could feel the surge of their bond, tempered because he was still human, but bolstering him with an incredible energy nonetheless. He openly gaped at Sarra, who of course was still human.
She arched an eyebrow at him, obviously impressed. Then she tipped her head. It wasn’t submission, but it was definitely approval.
Jak took a deep breath and shifted as well. In wolf form, he felt the full power of their submissions wash over him. It was a bath of magical energy like nothing he had ever felt. He was overcome for a moment… all the love and acceptance and respect built into this simple act… then, as the moments passed, he wondered why they were still bent in the submission position. Their thoughts twittered at the edge of his mind. Then he realized…
They wouldn’t move until he commanded it. Rise, he thought, and as one, they lifted their heads and perked up their tails. Kalis bounded over to him first, bumping shoulders with him on his way out of the room and up the stairs. Marco likewise approached him, but in a more measured way.
We’re straight shooters here, Jak. There was a laugh in his thoughts, probably because Jak’s dumbfounded look was still on his face, even as a wolf. Hope that works for you.
I think I’ll manage, Jak responded.
Marco ducked his head in acknowledgment, then backtracked to Sarra, who was waiting off to the side, still human. He nuzzled her hand and tilted his head to the kitchen. She followed after him. Before he trotted from the room, Marco scooped up his clothes in his mouth.
Arianna’s mother approached him next. Her eyes were still blue, and her black coat was frosted with silver tips.
This is a burden we’ve placed upon you, Jak, she thought, holding his gaze. You have us until the next moon. If the burden’s too great, no one will begrudge you laying it down at that point.
She was as kind-hearted as her daughter, something Jak should have also known would be true.
Nothing could pry this burden from my grip, Mrs. Stefan.
She dipped her head, then lifted it high as she passed him to climb the stairs after her youngest son.
He and Arianna were alone.
Shift for me, my love, he thought as he shifted to human himself. A moment later, she was naked in his arms. He had a sudden, fervent appreciation for the fact that everyone had vacated the room, leaving them alone. His hard-on was already raging. He kissed her thoroughly and was debating whether the hundred year old table could hold them, when she pulled away.
A grin played across her face. “Not here.”
“I’m the alpha of your pack now, Arianna,” he said sternly. “If I want you in the middle of your family’s living room, that’s where I’ll have you.” He hoped she knew he was playing. He would follow her to the ends of the earth. All she had to do was ask.
She grinned wider and ducked down to the pile of his clothes on the floor. She looked up at him from there, her grin turning into a smirk. The fact that her lips were now so near his cock had him thinking that maybe he wasn’t playing after all. He certainly wasn’t going to last long in the playful stage if he didn’t have her soon. But before he could act on that impulse, she popped up from the floor and shoved his clothes into his chest.
“I have a special place,” she said with a shy smile. “Somewhere I’ve always dreamed of… being claimed.”
His heart leaped, banging against his chest. Those words made his mouth ache with need for her. And if she had a special place for this most special of acts—something he never thought was even going to be possible for either one of them—then he damn well was going there.
He hastily shoved his legs into his pants. “I sincerely hope this place is nearby.” His shirt was fighting him, but he managed to get it on.
Arianna was dressed just as quickly. “I’ve spent my whole life on this ranch,” she said with a smirk. “And now everything I’ve ever dreamed of is here.”
His body flushed with the love radiating from her. He was so tremendously smitten in that moment, it was all he could do to hold himself back. But he’d done much harder things… he could do this. Making Arianna’s dreams come true was worth everything.
He held out his hand. “Lead the way, my love.”
She grabbed his hand and towed him toward the kitchen. It was big and rustic like the rest of the house, filled with massive copper pots and black iron skillets. They didn’t slow down as she tugged him toward the back door. Outside, the light was waning, settling a warm amber glow on the rest of the ranch.
Jak didn’t notice Marco and Sarra until he and Arianna had already passed them. Marco was half naked, just his jeans on, and he had Sarra up against the back wall of the house. That kiss was hotter than hell, the way he had her leg hitched over his hip and his mouth covering hers. The way Sarra had her fingers digging into Marco’s back, she sure didn’t seem to mind. Jak flashed a look to Arianna, but she seemed pleased as punch that her brother was making out with Jak’s ex. Truth be told, he couldn’t be happier for the both of them.
And pretty damn soon Jak planned to be in the same position with Arianna. His wolf growled his agreement, and Jak picked up the pace. Arianna’s hand was clasped in his as they hurried toward the row of cottages beyond the barn. He didn’t care if they were headed for a bed, a hay bale, or the forest beyond.
He was finally going to claim Arianna for his own.
Arianna was so full of love she felt her heart might burst.
Jak was not only her alpha now, but the alpha of her pack. Her family. They had accepted him with open arms, just as she knew they would. Jak carried her magic in his blood, and she had submitted to him, but there was still one bond she craved between them: a true claiming. She had been free of Mace for less than a day, but she was already ready to give everything she had to Jak. He was literally her savior.
And now she wanted him to make her his mate.
She towed him toward the farthest cabin on her family’s ranch. They were a small operation, but they had a steady stream of customers, riding the trails, living the ranch life, enjoying all the simple and earthy pleasures of the great outdoors. She’d grown up here, watching couples come and renew their love with a weekend of fun and relaxation… and she knew exactly what happened in the Bridal Suite cabin at the end. She always figured that, one day, she and her mate would consummate their love there as well.
Life didn’t always turn out the way you planned.
A sour fleeting thought of all the time trapped as Mace’s mate passed over her like a cloud. But the bright smile on Jak’s face as she pulled him up to the door of the cabin blasted away those thoughts like a clean wind dissipating the smoke of Mace under the witch’s combined spell.
“Is this it?” Jak asked, a little breathless as he checked out the rough-hewn door of the cabin. It probably didn’t look like much to a city shifter like him. And there wasn’t much more inside. Mostly a bed and a tub. But it held her dreams, ever since she was a girl.
“This is it,” she said. “It’s not much—”
He cut her off with a kiss. Then he threw open the door and scooped her up, bridal-style, carrying her over the threshold.
“It’s perfect,” he whispered, eyes on her alone. He hadn’t even looked at the inside of the cabin yet, but the love in his eyes was all she
needed.
He gave a quick look around, spied the tub, and carried her there. It was oversized, a whirlpool tub, meant for lovers. He reverently set her down, kissed her gently on the lips, and then slowly unbuttoned her shirt. The heat between her legs was already throbbing from the submission, their kissing just minutes ago, and the sight of Jak’s naked glory, now hidden underneath his clothes again. But the gentle touch of his fingers on her chest as he unbuttoned her clothes just made the heat grow into an aching need to have him.
“I want to wash away everything that came before,” he whispered as he pushed her open shirt off her shoulders, letting it fall behind her. He feasted his eyes on her breasts, now bare to him, before quickly moving to unbutton her jeans. “I want a fresh start for us, Arianna.”
He knelt as he worked her jeans down her legs and lifted her feet free, one by one. Then he buried his face between her legs, and she gasped with the sudden touch of his tongue on her already throbbing nub. She grabbed at him, holding his head to her, but he was just teasing… and lifted away almost immediately.
His eyes were hooded with lust, and she just wanted him to take her now. Forget the bath. But he leaned over to start the water then started shucking off his clothes. She tried to be patient, but she couldn’t help running her hands over his chest as soon as it was bare, letting her fingers revel in the fact that she could touch him like this… forever.
It was like falling into a dream and never waking up again.
As soon as his pants were gone, Arianna reached for his cock. It was so thick and at attention that it begged for her touch. She wanted nothing more than to pleasure him until he moaned her name.
She pouted when he pulled her hand free.
“Any of that, and we’re not going to make it to the main event,” he chided. But his smile was wide. He stepped into the tub and turned on the spray nozzle mounted on the wall. A gentle waterfall of rain soaked his body, making it even more sizzling hot and tempting. She eagerly climbed in after him. He took her in his arms, but quickly turned her, so that she was under the water, not him. Then he reached for the bar of soap nearby and sudsed up his hands. Starting with her breasts, he soaped up her body. She clutched at his shoulders as his palms and fingers slowly worked their way over every square inch of her chest and arms, then down her legs and back up again. Far too briefly, he dipped his fingers between her legs.